Eisenstein integrals for reductive symmetric spaces: Temperedness, majorations. Small \(B\)-matrix (Q1911514)

This is a rather important paper in the theory of harmonic analysis on reductive symmetric spaces. The basic object of study is the generalized principal series related to a (non-Riemannian) reductive symmetric space G/H. The methods from the case of a reductive group should generalize and so they do. However it is a non-trivial task and takes a lot of ingenuity to complete this. The paper under review deals with the questions related in particular to the so-called intermediate series of representations, the discrete series and the most continuous series being essentially understood, by the results of \textit{T. Oshima} and \textit{T. Matsuki} [A description of discrete series for semisimple symmetric spaces, in: Adv. Stud. Pure Math. 4, 331-390 (Boston 1984; Zbl 0577.22012)] and the reviewer [Ann. Math., II. Ser. 111, 253-311 (1980; Zbl 0462.22006)] for the discrete series and by \textit{E. P. van den Ban} and \textit{H. Schlichtkrull} [The most continuous part of the Plancherel decomposition for a reductive symmetric space (in preparation)] for the most continuous part. The main results in the paper deal with precise estimates for the meromorphic continuation of Eisenstein integrals. Using a technique due to van den Ban the problem reduces to prove temperedness when the parameter is purely imaginary. One starts with results for ``good'' parameters established by using results of \textit{T. Oshima, H. Schlichtkrull} and the reviewer [Boundedness of certain unitarizable Harish-Chandra modules, in: Adv. Stud. Pure Math. 14, 651-660 (Boston 1988; Zbl 0725.22005)]. Temperedness for the discrete series, for the generalized principal series and for the Poisson transform is then obtained by repeated use of the translation functor. The paper builds on many previous results, e.g. by \textit{D. Vogan} [Irreducibility of discrete series representations for semisimple symmetric spaces, in: Adv. Stud. Pure Math. 14, 191-221 (Boston 1988; Zbl 0733.22008)], \textit{T. Oshima} [Asymptotic behaviour of spherical functions on semisimple symmetric space, in: Adv. Stud. Pure Math. 14, 561-601 (Boston 1988; Zbl 0729.22001)], \textit{E. P. van den Ban} [Ark. Mat. 25, 175-187 (1987; Zbl 0645.43009); J. Funct. Anal. 109, 331-441 (1992; Zbl 0791.22008)], \textit{E. P. van den Ban} and \textit{H. Schlichtkrull} [Invent. Math. 98, 639-657 (1989; Zbl 0698.43007)], \textit{J.-L. Brylinski} and \textit{P. Delorme} [Invent. Math. 109, 619-664 (1992; Zbl 0785.22014)], \textit{J. Carmona} and \textit{P. Delorme} [J. Funct. Anal. 122, 152-221 (1994; Zbl 0831.22004)]. Certain properties of the so-called small B-matrix are also proved. The main results of the paper under review are known for the group case due to the work of \textit{Harish-Chandra} [Invent. Math. 36, 1-55 (1976; Zbl 0341.43010)]. The normalization of the Eisenstein integrals used is different from Harish-Chandra's. In the group case (contrary to the general situation for reductive symmetric spaces) the Eisenstein integrals are defined using convergent integrals, what makes things considerably easier.